BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera passed a resolution endorsing the establishment of the Regional Research, Development and Innovation Committee (RRDIC) as a support committee under the region’s policy-making body.
The RDC-CAR chaired by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan approved the said resolution during its first quarter meeting which was held at the CAP John Hay Trade and Cultural Center located within the 247-hectare John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ).
The region’s policy-making body stated that its recognizes the critical role and contributions of research, development and innovation in building and maintaining regional competitiveness in the national economy, addressing global challenges and realizing sustainable development.
“There is a need to harmonize major research and development policies and plans and programs or projects or activities in the region and bridge research and development gaps and challenges to ensure quality and priority researches and projects towards an accelerated regional socio-economic development,” the resolution stressed.
The resolution pointed out that the establishment of the aforesaid committee was endorsed by the RDC-CAR economic development committee during its first quarter meeting held on February 13, 2018 at the Department of Agriculture’s regional office.
According to the resolution, the three existing Department of Science and Technology-initiated research and development in the region have distinct research and development agenda aligned to the priorities of their respective national research and development councils; as such, the unique regional research priorities of the region are allegedly given least priority.
The RDC-CAR added the research and development consortia, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Research Center and other educational institutions operate independently.
Earlier, DOST submitted to the RDC-CAR a proposal for the establishment and operationalization of the Regional Research, Development and Innovation Committee as a support committee under the region’s policy-making body.
NEDA-CAR, which acts as the RDC-CAR Secretariat, reviewed the proposal and provided comments and suggestions which are now integrated into the current concept paper.
The proposal to establish the RRDIC as a support committee to the RDC-CAR is noteworthy because it will allow the RDC to coordinate the research and development priorities of the three consortia, state universities and colleges (SUCs) and other research institutions in the region which is a recognition of the role of the RDC is the highest policy-making body for all socio-economic development in the region, thus, the critical importance of research and development and innovation is highlighted as a major development concern in the region; it will also coordinate, provide policy directions, and harmonize or prioritize major research and development activities in the region, especially that increasing public funds are now being allocated to research and development; it will also address gaps in research and development which are not currently covered by the existing research and development consortia and to shepherd the implementation of research and development agenda 2017-2022 which the committee can undertake. By Dexter A. See
